Paddle-wheel.



No. 657,74l. Patented Sept. n, I900. n. s. KNOWLTON.

PADDLE WHEEL.

. (Application filed Jan. 26, 1900,) A MfldL) 3 Sheets$heet THE mums PEYERS co. PHOTQLIYHOU wxsnmamw D. c.

Patented Sept. H, I900.

D. S. KNOWLTDN.

PADDLE WHEEL.

(Application filed Jan. 26, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 657,74l.

D. S. KNOWLTUIL PADDLE WHEEL.

(Application filed Jan. 26, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DANIEL s. KNOWLTON, or PERRY, NEW our;

PADDL'E-.WHEEL,'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,741, dated September 11, 1900.

Application filed January 26. 1900- Serial No. 2,885. \No model-l To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL S. KNOWLTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Perry, in the county of Wyoming and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Paddle wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in paddle-wheels having a number of floats arranged around the main shaft of the wheel and supported by bearings carried at or near the periphery of the wheel in such a manner as to permit of the floats being freely revolved in either direction.

The principle of my invention may be applied to a wheel to generate power from a current of water, also for the propulsion of boats, and will run with the wheel entirely submerged or only partly so. Also by changing the relative size and strength of the parts to meet the different requirements it can be used for a wind-engine to generate power from a current of air or the propulsion of an air-ship. It will run with the shaft in either a vertical or horizontal position.

The objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a paddle-Wheel that will run wholly submerged, give but slight resistance while the floats are returning to position for effective service, and utilize the given force better than a screw; second, to provide a paddlewheel that can be adjusted to change the direction of its energy to any desired degree of its revolution without stopping the wheel; third, to provide a current or tide wheel that will generate power while vertically submerged and which can be readily adjusted to revolve in the same direction after the tide has turned and the current comes from the opposite direction; fourth, to provide a current-wheel which has only the shaft and gatestem to keep clear of ice in the winter and that will run equally well when the surface of the water is frozen over; fifth, to provide a feathering paddle-wheel in which it is easy to case in all the slender parts, leaving only the parts exposed that can be made heavy enough to withstand all ordinary shocks from floating objects, such as ice; sixth, to provide a wheel for submarine boats that can be adjusted to draw the boat under the water or raise it to the surface as well as to propel it;

seventh, to provide wheels for an air-ship that can be adjusted to exert their motive force at the proper angleto both sustain and.

propel it, and, eighth, to provide a wind-wheel on a vertical shaft that has no tendency to draw itself out of the wind when laboring. I attain these objects by the mechanism illusstrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which' Figure l is a vertical section through the center of the main shaft when all the crankpins are at the lowest point in their revolution. Fig. II is an end view of the main wheel and the mechanism that controls the rotation of the floats as they appear after the Wheel N and the support T have been re moved and shows the position of the cranks and yoke after the main wheel has made onefourth of a revolution from its position in Fig. I, and Fig. III is a perspective view of the entire wheel in the position shown in Fig. II.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the several views.

C C are the sides of the floats D D, of which there may be any number desiredfour in the present instance. They are fastened securely to the shafts E E, which revolve easily in the bearings m m, carried at the outer ends of the arms B B, that radiate from the main shaft A, that is fitted at or near one end to receive the sleeve I, suitable to permit the shaft A to freely revolve therein. Securely fastened to the sleeve I is the spur-gear K, in mesh with the idle wheel L, which is in mesh with the planet-gear M. This carries the crank-pin H, which engages with the con nectin g-yoke G and serves, through the crank-pins b b and the cranks F F, all the cranks having the same throw, to impart the same direction and degree of rotary motion to the floats as the gearM receives. As the said gear M has just double the number of cogs that there are on gear-K, the motion being kept in the same direction by the idle wheel L, it is seen that when the main wheel is revolved and the sleeve I is retained from rotating it thereby gives the floats one-half a revolution on their individual axles for every complete revolution of the main wheel and in the opposite circular direction. The sleeve I also carries the hand or gear wheel N, which is designed to rotate the sleeve I when it is desired to ad- 1 just, reverse, or change the direction of the motive force of the main wheel. Thus the main Wheel, as shown in the several views,

in the revolution of the main wheel and vertical when at its lowest point. Giving the Wheel N one-half a revolution will rotate the floats one-half as much, or one-fourth of a revolution, thereby bringing the'place at which the floats are vertical at. the highest point instead of the lowest, as before, thus reversing the direction of the motive force of the wheel. The effect is the same, and the sleeve I is rotated with equal facility whether the main wheel is in motion or at rest. Thus it is seen that by manipulating the wheel N the point of greatest. resistance can be located at any degree in the circuit of the Wheel.

If preferred, the sleeve I may extend only to the support T and have the wheel N in mesh with a wormgear, a bevel-gear, a' chain and sprocket, or other suitable device for bolding the sleeve from rotatingand also furnishing a convenient manner of changing the position of the floats whenever desired.

In a wind-wheel when the shaft is vertical the vane is attached to the sleeve I. I

If preferred, the connection between the sleeve I and the float-axles E E may be made with bevel-gears and shafts, chain and sprockets, or any mechanism that will provide the same ratio of rotation between the sleeve and floats as in the present instance.

When desired to protect the controllinggear from floating ice or other things that might injure it, all the mechanism that rotates the floats may be inclosed in a case. Also, in order to reduce the resistance to the lowest point the Wheel can be made with metal disks on the shaft A in place of the arms B B. The gearing and yoke can be put in a very thin compass next the disk. Then by fastening the casing to the periphery of the disk it will oppose scarcely any resistance to the rotation of the main wheel; 1

When adjusting the cranks F F to the floataxles E E, each of the axles in its consecutive order should be brought to a given point in the revolution of the main wheel. The floatD should then be rotated to the point where the central planetof the body of the float is in the same plane with the longitudinal center of the shaft A. Then secure it rigidly in this position either by tightening the set-screw n or other device that may be employed for the purpose. After all the floats have been thus treated the other adjustments may be made by manipulating the wheel N.

To more fully explain the manner of setting the cranks F F with regard-to the floats D D, when the shaft A is horizontal, as in the several views, in rotation bring each of the floataxles E E to the lowest point in the revolution of the Wheel and make the central plane ofthefloat vertical. When thusproperlyset, the plane of each of the floats D D will always be at. right angles to the one exactly opposite,

, whether the wheel is in motion or at rest.

As the opposite sides of the floats are alike and equal,- there is notend-ency in the wheel to rotate the sleeve I, except the small amount of friction generated in the bearings. It will also be seen that the floats at the right and direction to assist the lower float, and each as it revolves continues to be of service almost to the point where it passes the center, and begins to draw again very soon after that point is passed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. A paddle-wheelhaving a number of floats or sails arranged around the main shaft, firmly attached to axles or shafts supported by bearings carried at or near the periphery of the wheel suitable to permit the floats to freely revolve in either direction, every float having its axis at its geometrical center parallel with the axis of the main shaft, its plane at right angles to the one exactly opposite, and its axle connected to a sleeve loosely fitted over a part of the main shaft, by a mechanism suitable to automatically rotate the axle in its bearing one-half as fast in the opposite circular'direction as that in which the main wheel may be revolved while the sleeve is at rest, in combinatio'mwith a wheel attached to the sleeve suitable to rotate the said sleeve in either direction, or hold it at rest at any point of the complete revolution, substantially as set forth and for the purposes designated.

2. In a paddle-wheel having a number of floats and arranged around the main shaft, and supported by bearings suitable to permit of the floats being freely revolved in either direction, and having their axes parallel with the axis of the main shaft, the combination of a sleeve that is loosely fitted over a part of the main shaft, suitable to permit the shaft to freely revolve therein, the said sleeve having securely attached to it a primary spur gear-wheel, iu mesh with an idle wheel that is in mesh with a planet-gear wheel, having twice the-number of cogs that there are on the primary gear, the planet-gear also having a crank-pin engaging with a yoke connecting it with all the floats by means of cranks on each of the floats, having the same throw as the crank-pin on the planet-gear, and suitable to transmit the same direction and degree of rotary motion to the floats on their axles, as is received by the planet-gear on its axle-pin, from the primary gear attached to the sleeve, substantially as shown and described and for the purpose specified.

DANIEL S. KNOWLTON.

Witnesses:

MONTA BURT, W. D. OLMsTED.

ICC 

